Ecuador: The rush for oil in Yasuni National Park

Date created : 24/03/2017 - 16:01Latest update : 24/03/2017 - 16:03

For 12 years, Diego Mosquera has been studying the outstanding biodiversity of the Yasuni Park.

By:
Antoine BODDAERT

Located in eastern Ecuador, the Yasuni Park is a unique ecosystem. Thousands of species of plants and wildlife are concentrated in this part of the Amazon rainforest. But the park and its treasures are directly threatened by drilling for oil.

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Ecuador's Yasuni National Park covers 10,000 square kilometres of rainforest. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1989, its biodiversity is among the most outstanding on the planet. Hundreds of species of mammals, birds and butterflies, plus thousands of rare specimens of plants and trees, crowd this corner of the Amazon.

But the park is also a victim of the riches beneath it, where almost half of the country’s crude oil reserves lie. Drilling began in September 2016, much to the dismay of indigenous communities and environmental activists.